Riichi Mahjong is a Japanese ruleset in the Mahjong family. A standard match uses 136 tiles, 4 players, and a hand-by-hand format where position, timing, and risk management matter as much as tile efficiency. Tiles are drawn from the Wall and each player builds a personal discard line called a River.
This illustrates the common structure of four groups plus one pair. In Riichi, you also need at least one yaku (a named winning condition). Yaku availability is influenced by each hand’s context from the start (such as seat/round winds and dora indicators) and by choices during play.
Build a legal winning hand before opponents do. Most winning hands follow a structure of four groups and one pair, but you must also satisfy at least one scoring pattern (yaku) to win.
On your turn, draw one tile and discard one tile. Players can call specific discards to form melds (open tile groups), but calls can reveal information and reduce flexibility. Each hand ends when someone wins or when tiles run out.
A complete hand is not enough on its own. Riichi requires a valid yaku, and many new players miss wins by building shape without a scoring pattern. Still Wall highlights this clearly to reduce ambiguity.
Points are based on hand value and conditions at win time. Dealer status, dora bonus indicators (bonus tiles shown on the table), and win type all matter. You do not need full memorization to begin, but understanding value differences is key to better decisions.
Riichi is played hand by hand inside a longer match. Momentum can change quickly, so good play means balancing offense, defense, and table context instead of forcing every hand to completion.
Start with slower-paced matches, focus on clean discards and safe reads, then increase difficulty as your recognition improves. Optional coaching can explain decisions without interrupting play flow.